Food for thought: United's 100% start to 2024/25 ends at Brighton

Manchester United were held to a draw at the Amex Stadium after four consecutive wins across the WSL and Women's League Cup.

In her post-match reflection to MUTV, Dominique Janssen suggested that Saturday’s visit to Brighton was the first time this season that United had played “pretty well”.

However, she added that, in light of that statement, it was also “frustrating” to only then travel back north with a single point rather than three.

United were the dominant force in the first half on the south coast. Brighton welcomed a club record crowd of 8,369 to the Amex Stadium, once the site of a WSL attendance record back in 2019. Yet it was the visitors who began strongest, taking an early lead when the Grace Clinton-Celin Bizet combination that Tottenham fans had become accustomed to last season delivered the goods.

Marc Skinner mentioned after the victory over Spurs the previous weekend that he was pleased with how they were linking up on the right-hand side of the pitch, but 10 minutes into the Brighton game was the first time this season they directly combined for a goal.

Bizet, with two assists from two crosses to her name against Spurs, sent the ball into the box and Clinton finished past former United goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley. It was a third assist of the season for Bizet and a third goal for Clinton, who was tasked during the summer with getting into the box and adding more goals to her game. That has been seen week after week so far and the England talent is already only one shy of matching her WSL tally from the entirety of 2023/24.

United were deserving of their half-time lead, probably disappointed not to be further ahead after Clinton had struck the bar with an outstanding solo effort and Baggaley saved twice from Hinata Miyazawa, and once from Elisabeth Terland. Still, Phallon Tullis-Joyce – on her birthday – also demonstrated why fans are so excited to have her as No.1, making a full-stretch save at the other end to deny Madison Haley what looked like it would be a certain equaliser.

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It was after half-time that things changed. Skinner and Janssen both said afterwards that United had spoken in the dressing room during the interval about expecting Brighton to respond. Seagulls boss Dario Vidosic made a double change to give his team more width and it was a situation that developed that developed down their right which led to Nikita Parris equalising.

Around 20 minutes later Skinner switched things up by putting Aoife Mannion on at right-back to push Bizet further up the pitch and bringing on the increasingly popular Simi Awujo in midfield. Subsequently, United found a rhythm once more and finished well, albeit without a go-ahead goal. In one instance, Awujo was able to roll her marker to drive towards goal and open up space for Ella Toone to shoot, on target, from 20 yards, while Baggaley saved well at the near post from Terland late on. There was also a penalty appeal moments before that effort when Bizet was barged in the back without Brighton’s Jocelyn Carabali getting anywhere close to winning the ball.

Although Brighton edged possession, Tullis-Joyce didn’t have a great deal to do beyond her world class first half save. Baggaley made three times as many stops and United had almost three times as many touches in the box than Brighton.

Being clinical on front of goal is going to be key moving forward. United ultimately weren’t punished when chances went begging at Everton, but Brighton were good enough to get back level on this occasion. Terland also showed against Tottenham the importance making opportunities count as Spurs were arguably the better side until conceding those two goals in quick succession on the stroke of half-time. At the very least, United remain unbeaten and this game highlighted things that can still be tweaked.

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